Iron in the blood
by Timemistress42
Summary: Some familar faces from former travels are back... but why? And what's this new power thats being forced on them? Some random fic that was in my head...please R&R! 10Rose
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:ah, you know I don't own them. Yet.

Breif: just a random fic that reallywouldn't go out of my head. Please Read, enjoy and review-need all the help I can get!

**Chapter 1- The collector makes his move.**

_Scene 1: a house, north London, July 2005._

"Marianne! Where are you, girl?"

The old lady helped herself down the stairs- at the age of nearly 75, it was hard to get down them now. A smaller, dark-haired girl wearing nothing but her dressing gown and pyjamas appeared in the door way, hair a mess and TV remote in hand.

"Yes, Gran? I'm here. What's the matter?"

"Lord girl, look at ya! Such a state- I never seen nothing like it at the height of the war! When I was your age…"

"You'd already my uncle Jamie and were looking after orphans during the blitz. Yes, I know."

Nancy shook her head at the smirk on her granddaughter's face. "Get us some tea, child. Are you going to work today or what?"

"I'm working later" she shouted back. She was 18 years old, looking to go to uni in September to study law. Nancy was so proud- and she knew her mother would have been too. Such a good girl. Shame she was the only one- bless Jamie, he was never well enough after…what happened. Or did it? Nancy had always put it down to old age…

Marianne came in and gave her her tea, and a hug. "Thanks love."

_Scene 2: Cardiff, 1859. _

Gwyneth poured the tea for the guests. There was a terrible plague on the city, they had never known it so busy. So sad. Yet, she had known about it before…seen it all happened, the death, the devastation. Of course she told no-one. Who would listen to a poor servant girl? Even if she did have the 'Sight', or some such poppycock.

"Gwyneth?"

"Coming sir".

_Scene 3: a battle ship, somewhere near the far rings of Saturn, 5200. _

"Oh, you think you're so clever do you?"

Jack laughed manically, both guns blazing. Since Rose and the Doctor had abandoned him, he had travelled the universe, time and space at his disposal. Slept where, and with whomever, he pleased. Shot who he liked. Fought in many major intergalactic wars. So he wasn't good enough for them, huh? He'd show them. He was his own person- and was loving it.

"TAKE THAT JERK!" His American accent echoed through the corridor of the battle cruiser...another two dead. He didn't count anymore- why bother? He couldn't feel anything but pain anyway.

Flash- a bright white light, which burnt through time and space.

In 21st century London, a tea mug smashed on the floor…

In 19th century Cardiff, guests screamed as a girl disappeared…

In 53rd century Saturn, two guards are spared their lives…

The rest is silence.

Until a mobile bleated out its tinny version of Glenn Miller, somewhere in time and space…


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of them, and you know it!

Thanks for the reviews guys- just to make it clear, it is 10Rose- should have said it eariler!

**Chapter 2- Unlikely reunion.**

"And, why are we here again?"

"I told you Doctor, Jack called me, he sounded in trouble… and this is where he told me to come."

"Hm. Well, if Jack said so…"

The voices stopped arguing as the large blue box once again materialised with its characteristic sound. The young blonde girl slowly pushed open the door and took in their surroundings. Dark- hmm, that didn't help matters. From the feel of the floor, somewhere with flagstones. Light, that's what they needed. She made her way slowly to the back wall, as her suited companion stepped out of the TARDIS with a sceptical look on his face.

"Great, Rose, you've brought us to a dungeon. The hanging gardens of Babylon would have been better…"

"Very funny." This kind of banter was normal between them. She found the light switch, and suddenly the room was filled with light.

She and the Doctor took a collective breath of realisation. Where they were was a large corridor, possibly underground, with a high curved roof and a huge pair of wooden doors at the far end, which they made their way through. From the shaft of outside light, Rose could see the light switch for this new room. She pressed it…

And the room filled with screams.

"No! The light!"

"It's so bright"… "My eyes!"

The room was as high and wide as the previous one, but longer. Set in its sides were large sets of bars- creating, by the looks of things, various different cells. It was from these that the screams came. Their insides were dark, but as Rose moved towards the nearest one, a familiar face came into view…

"Nancy?"

She had aged, of course, but it was her. Rose remembered that terror in her face.

"How'd you know my name? Has 'e sent ya? I tells you, I'm an old lady… I don't deserve this."

"No, Nancy, it's me, Rose…and this is the Doctor."

"Rose? Oh my word…and the…Doctor?"

"Doctor…THE Doctor?...We're saved!...the doctor, oh my god…" The name rippled down the corridor as each person passed it onto the next. Some faces were blank, but as the Doctor moved down the bars, he knew each face…all etched into his mind…

Jade, a successful business woman- before she found that air condition can be hot.

A young Victorian, who would fight against the evil Gelth and save the entire world forever, what ever Dickens says.

Cathica, a journalist from a distant time-but even people in 200,000 wouldn't believe all this.

Lynda, with a 'y', who would befriend him while in the Game station, before being evaporated by the most evil enemies imaginable…

In fact, every female face that he and Rose had met since he had picked her up.

He moved closer to one of the cells, which Lynda was in. She flinched out of the way.

"Lynda," he said, holding out his hand. "It's me. The Doctor. Don't you remember?"

"Please…please don't hurt me." She flinched.

The Doctor drew away, hurt. At least he thought she'd remember. Then he did- she got killed by the Darkles during the second war, and he had changed his face.

Rose was by his side now. "What happened, Lynda?"

The captive retreated further into her cell. "You ain't got none of that…stuff, have ya?"

The Doctor pulled herself up. "No. I'm here from…information. Just tell us what you remember."

Lynda held her hand to her throat, her eyes glazing over as she started to remember. "There was this…flash. Like when they choose you- for the house, like? I was in the house, with the other 'ousemates. And then this flash… and I ended up in a big group, of both blokes and girls. They separated us out. Men and women. Threw us in these cages. Fed us this gunk…liquid stuff. Like mashed up vegetables… what is it?"

The Doctor was deep in thought, but was nudged out of it. "What is what?"

"That...stuff."

He was about to reply that he didn't know what she was talking about, but then he remembered his role and instead said "It is nothing of great importance. Please, continue."

"Well, that's it, really. Nothing more has 'appned, we're just stuck here."

"Thank you, Lynda. That's all we need to know." He walked away towards one of the other cells. Rose caught up with him, and whispered "What are you talking about, that didn't…"

He smiled. "Yes, I know, but I'm not going to tell her that, now am I?"

Smiling back at him, she nodded towards the first cage that they had come to. "Her story, Lynda's, it was the same as Nancy's. So there must be something going on here."

"Oh Rose, of course there is. I have a hunch- nothing more- but I'm pretty sure I know who's behind this. And, unfortunately, what they want as well."

"Trouble?"

"Oh yeah." They both smiled, knowing that this was going to be good. "But before all that, we need to check this place out- and find Jack."

"Is jack in trouble too, then?"

"Rose, Jack is always in trouble." The Doctor turned, so he could address all the cages. "Now, ladies. Which way is out?"

"Hey," said Lynda behind him, "I thought you were from information?"

"Oh don't be silly, Lynda," snapped a voice from another cage. "That's the Doctor!"

"The…"

"Oh, I'll explain later," shouted the voice back to them- and soon he realised that it belonged to Goddard, now the owner of the Van Statten empire. "Exit's right through that door there."

The Doctor shouted "Thanks!" as he and Rose begin to run towards the door.

"Rose!"

She stopped and turned.

Nancy was right up against her bars, her eyes pleading with her through the gaps.

"Can you look for my granddaughter? Her name's Marianne. Please…just let me know she's safe."

Rose remembered the same look on Nancy's face nearly sixty years previously- and she couldn't let her go through that again. "Of course."

And, with that, she and the Doctor pushed the door open and stepped into yet another vast corridor.


End file.
